Machine for making filter and like tips for cigarettes



Feb. 17, 1953 H, GAMBLE 2,628,541

MACHINE FOR MAKING FILTER AND LIKE TIPS FOR CIGARETTES Filed Nov. 8, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 17, 1953 H. GAMBLE 2,628,541

MACHINE FOR MAKING FILTER AND LIKE TIPS FOR CIGARETTES Filed Nov. 8, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 //v VEN TOR y aml ,4 TTORNE Y H. GAMBLE Feb. 17, 1953 MACHINE FOR MAKING FILTER AND LIKE TIPS FOR CIGARETTES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 8, 1950 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINEFOR MAKING FILTER AND LIKE TIPS FOR CIGARETTES Hedwig Gamble, Ponders End, England Application November 8, 1950, Serial No. 194,618 In Great Britain November 10, 1949 6 Claims.

This invention concerns improvements in or other moving, between which the crepe strip is 3 fed by a sidewise movement, and pushing the resulting stub by a pusher through a spoon into a tube of cigarette paper.

This method for reasons given below can only be applied for manufacturing short stubs such as of stub material encased in cigarette paper for use in assembly machines, that is, machines where stubs are joined to pieces of cigarette rod by adhesive bands and, where multiple length stubs and/or rods are so joined, to cut the resulting composite rod into separate cigarettes. the lengths of stub material are long enough for six individual stubs; If then a pressed stub of such length and made in the above-mentioned manner is to beinserted into :a paper tube so as to fill the tube along its whole length, the production would be-much too slow andthe stubs not perfect in shape, owing to the fact that the cut piece of crepe paper has to be moved by a sideways or lateral movement into the pressing chamber. in this manner loses its true rectangular shape or its correct position and the result is that the stubs are not of a proper cylindrical shape. 7

According to the invention there is provided a machine for making stubs for cigarettes compristhe paper may be fed into the slot at one position i of the member and after a predetermined rotary movement of the member thepresser may move into said slot to press the paper into a stub. The member may be in the form of a rotatable drum and be provided with a number of. slots so that Usually The wide piece of crepe paper moved paper may be fed-into and pressed, in each slot in turn. The drum may be rotatable intermittently. Where adrum is employed it may rotate on a fixed shaft which isslotted transversely to its axis said slot comprising a fixed presser member with a suitably shaped end so disposed that a pressed stub is coaxial with the shaft.

" A stub ejected from themember or'drum may pass through a spoon into a paper tube in the known manner said tube being held on the spoon by aclampin'g device which is relaxed towards the end of the movement whereafter the tube is stripped from the spoon by the continued movement of the stu-b.- Stubs'encased by a paper tube in this manner may be conveyed to a trim-v ming device where the ends are trimmed by knives to reduce the stubs to the proper length with square neat ends.

The invention will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of the whole machine excluding the crepe feeding reel and trimming device.

Figure 2-is an enlarged view of the middle of Figure l, where the most important parts are situated.

Figure 3 is a section of Figure 2 on the line III--III.

Figure 4 is a section on line IV-IV Figure -'2 showing a few parts.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a reel feeding and trimming device.

Referring to the drawings a web of crepe paper or the like i Figure 3, is fed from a reel 2. Figure 5 by serrated or knurled feed rollers 3 and 4 towards a drum 5; The web passes over a sloping guide plate 6. A piece of crepe of the required length is cut by a cutting device, comprising a fixed blade I and a rotating blade 8, the cut taking place when the leading end of the web has been fed by further feed rollers 9 and I0 into a'slot H in the drum 5. The crepe passes over a guide plate I2 during the feeding movement.

The drum 5 rotates intermittently so that each of its ten slots is presented in turn to the crepe feeding position. For this purpose the drum is supported on a rotatable sleeve l3 to which is fixed a wormwheel l4. Beneath the wormwheel is a worm which has a thread consisting partly of a helix and partly of portion of zero lead. This wormdevice is well known and as the worm rotates the drum is moved when the helical part of the thread is engaging the wormwheel and is, stationary when the portion 3 of the thread which has zero lead is passing through the teeth of the wormwheel Inside the rotatable sleeve is a fixed shaft l6 which, as shown in Figure 3, has a slot H in it of the same width as a drum slot and disposed 189 from the crepe feeding position. A reciprocating presser plate |8 is provided which enters a drum slot II when the latter is in alignment with the slot in the fixed shaft [6. The inner end of the presser plate has a concave groove in it, see Figure 3, so that when the plate has moved into the fixed shaft to its final position a circular hole is formed of a diameter equal to that of a finished stub. It will be seen then that a piece of crepe fed into the drum slot is eventually squeezed by the presser plate into a stub.

Before the presser plate l8 moves out again a pusher rod l9 pushes the formed stub axially through a spoon 28 into a paper tube, for example of cigarette paper, which is brought on to the outside of the spoon and held firmly in position during the pushing operation by a cam operated pad 2| which grips the tube by pressing it against the wall of the spoon. As the drum has an even number of the slots, crepe paper feeding and stub pressing can take place on the same horizontal plane and at opposite sides of the drum. Thus each time the drum moves crepe paper is fed to a fresh slot.

The paper tubes are formed in the usual way from a web 22 by means of a former or mandrel 23 fitted with appropriate known means for folding and closing a web of paper to a round shape and securing the seam by glue or by crimping. As illustrated, the seam is made by crimping between a female crimping wheel 24 and a small male crimping wheel (not shown) but which is held inside the paper tube 25 in the usual manner. The endless formed tube 25 is cut by a scissors device 26 into the required lengths. As soon as a tube of cigarette length is cut, from the endless tube it is pushed aside, that is out of line with the endless tube by a cam operated device 21 and brought into alignment with the spoon 20. Another pusher 28 in alignment with the spoon then pushes the cigarette tube endwise on the spoon and the previously mentioned clamping pad 2| moves down and holds the tube tight on to the spoon during the period taken by the pusher rod l9 to push the formed stub through the spoon and into the cigarette tube until the front edge of the stub is level with the front edge of the tube. The clamping pad then lifts to release the tube and as the stub is still being ejected by the rod l9 and the paper tube is now freed, the stub takes the tube with it until both components are clear of the spoon.

By means of an extension 29 of the device 2? that positions the cigarette tube prior to its being pushed on to the spoon, the completed stub is pushed down a sloping plate 38 on to a conveyor 3| and transported thereby to a trimming unit which will be described later with reference to Figure 5.

Figure 4 shows the arrangement of the parts 27 and 29. As the device moves forward a completed stub is pushed along until it falls down the plate 30 and simultaneously a fresh tube is brought into alignment with the spoon. As soon as this tube is pushed on to the spoon the device 2'|-29 is lifted by a cam as explained later and returns until the part 21 is again in line with the paper tube 25 when it drops to receive the next tube.

AS the devices for forming and cutting the paper tubes and the method of inserting a stub through a spoon are well known it is thought that the following brief description of the apparatus is all that is necessary. The machine has two cam shafts 40 and 4| and is driven by a pulley or the like on the shaft 40. The shafts are geared together by bevel gear wheels 42 and 43. On the shaft 40 is a cam 44 which reciprocates the stub pusher rod l9 through a suitable lever. At the end of the shaft 40 is a spiral gear wheel 45 which drives a similar wheel 48 fixed to a shaft 41 at the other end of which is fixed a roller 48 which drives the conveyor 3|.

A large gear wheel 49 drives a small one I49 on a shaft 5|] which has a worm 5| on it which drives a worm-wheel 52. This wormwheel is fixed on a shaft 53 on which the feed rollers 4 are carried and a gear wheel on it (not shown) drives an equal gear wheel 54 on a shaft 55 to which the feed rollers 3 are fixed. At one end of the shaft 50 is a spiral gear wheel 56 which engages a similar wheel 51 fixed to a shaft 58 which carries the feed rollers ID. A gear wheel (not shown) engages with an equal gear wheel 59 on the shaft which carries the feed rollers 9.

The worm which drives the wheel I4 is driven from the shaft 4| through bevel gear wheels 6| and 52, the latter being fixed on a shaft 63 which carries the worm.

On the shaft 4| is a cam 84 which reciprocates the presser l8 through a suitable lever which engages an extension 65 of the presser, slidable in a guide 86. A further cam 51 on the same shaft rocks a lever 68 on a pivot 69 so as to move the clamp 2| in and out of engagement with a cigarette tube on the spoon. Just beyond the cam 61 is a further cam 10 which reciprocates the device 21 through a suitable lever and a rod "H. This rod is also lifted and lowered by a lever 12 pivoted at 13 and rocked by a cam 14 on the same cam shaft 4|.

Another cam 15 on the shaft 4| reciprocates a rod 16 through a suitable lever. The rod is guided at 11 and at its forward end has two pins, one of which marked 18 is shown. These rods in conjunction with a spring (not shown) oscillate the blades of the scissors 26 about a pivot 19 to effect cutting of the paper tube 25 in the known manner. The scissors pivot 19 is fixed on a block 80 which slides to and fro on a guide 8|, the motion being imparted by a crank disc 82 and connecting rod 83 in the usual way. The tube is supported in a guide 84 which as shown, is stationary, though it may be attached to the block 80 so as to move with the scissors. The tube pusher 28 is loosely pivoted at 85 to an arm 86 of a bellcrank lever pivoted at 81. The other arm 88 of the lever has a roller 89 which engages with a cam 90. This cam is fixed on a shaft 5| having a spiral gear wheel 92 at its other end which meshes with a similar wheel 93 on the end of the cam shaft 4|. The crank disc 62 the crimping wheel 24 and the usual devices for printing on the paper web (omitted from the drawing) are all driven from the shaft 9| by suitable gearing.

On the cam shaft 40 is a cam 94 which through a suitable lever and a link 95 reciprocates a rod 96. This rod extends beyond the drum and is provided with a plate 91 at its end, see also Figure 3, which operates to press the crepe back into a slot, should the crepe tend to emerge from the right hand side of the drum, as is sometimes the case when the machine is operating. An-

other cam, not previously mentioned, is shown on the camshaft M. This cam 93 is used to operate an auxiliary presser device shown in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 3 the presser marked as is similar in construction to the presser I8 and is operated to give a preliminary crushing or compressing of the crepe in a slot. I

It will be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that the presser plate I 3 is slotted. These slots are'mer'ely provided to clear guides I80, supported by a plate IiJI, which embrace part ofthe drum and prevent crepe from emerging from the ends of the slots which it tends to do, due to its springy nature, after being fed in by the rollers 9 and II).

The rotary blade 8 of the crepe cutting device is driven by a sprocket wheel I02 fixed on the end of a spindl IE3 and connected by a chain I04 to a further sprocket wheel I05. This is fixed to a gear wheel I86 driven from an equal gear wheel I81 on the camshaft 40.

Referring now to Figure 5 which shows the crepe feeding device, it is most essential on machines for the production of filter stubs and the like that all stubs should have the same weight because it is the practice to weigh finished cigarettes to check the uniformity of the tobacco filling. The weight is determined by the length of the material cut off from the paper web as it is pulled off from the bobbin or reel. Slight variations caused by the irregularity of the material cannot be avoided, but it has been found that large variations occur as the diameter of the bobbin alters. The weights of the stubs when the bobbin is large are much different from the Weights when the bobbin is small, say nearly at its end. The machine is therefore provided with a special web tension device which will now be described. An arm or support I08 extends from the spindle I69 on which the bobbin or reel 2 rotates, the arm being longer than the maximum radius of the bobbin and fixed in position. At the free end of the support arm is a pivot pin III] on which is pivoted a curved arm I II having an end, such as a fiat spring I I2, suitably constructed to rest on the periphery of the bobbin and act as a feeler. Another arm H3 is fixed to the curved arm at th pivot and so that it turns on the pivot with the curved arm. This second arm or lever is short and slotted to take a bolt or pin H4 and it extends from the pivot on the same side as the curved arm.

The bobbin has a brake drum II5 fixed to it so that the drum rotates as the web of material is pulled off the bobbin. A brake band IIB engages the drum and one of its ends is attached to a spring II! which is in turn attached to a fixed pin H8 which is conveniently fixed in the aforesaid fixed support arm. The attachment to the fixed pin may be adjustable as by an adjusting screw H9 passing through the pin. The other end of the band is attached to a pin which is fixed in the slot of the slotted arm. The slot provides adjustment for the brake tension and further adjustment is possible by the adjusting screw. The tension is adjusted to suit the kind of reels being handled.

When the bobbin is large in diameter the feeler arm is raised up. In these conditions the above mentioned slotted lever is also moved up and tightens the brake band, increasing the braking effect. As the bobbin diminishes in diameter the feeler arm moves down thus loosening the band and reducing the braking effect. Therefore this type of brake regulates the braking effect according to the diameter of the bobbin.

The trimming unit also shown in Figure 5, corisists' ofa rotatable drum I2l the width of which is determined by the length of finished stubs required, and it hasflutes or grooves on its periphery. These grooves receive the stubs from the conveyor 3| and the stubs on the drum are positioned by suitable guides I22 so that the parts of the stubs to be trimmed off, overhang the edges of the drum on either'side. As this drum rotates it passes between two rotating knives (such as the knife I23) which trim both ends of the stubs. The sides of the drum constitute ledgers or counter knives. Then as the drum continues to rotate, each stub in turn drops off on to a conveyor I25 which transfers it to a collecting con-'- tainer or the like. v

The waste ends of the'stubs' which have been trimmed off, drop into a chute I24 which has extensions .ateach side of the drum and are collected into'a container for later disposal. The reel is carried on a bracket I20 shown broken away in Figure 5.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for making filter stubs comprising a drum, means supporting the samefor rota tion on its long axis, the drum having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots opening radially outwardly through its periphery and closed at their inner ends, means for imparting intermittent rotation to the drum, means for feeding stub forming material into a slot radially of the drum when the drum is in one stationary position, a reciprocable presser element positioned to move radially of the drum to enter the material carrying slot when the-drum has been turned to locate said slot in a second position whereby to compress the material in the inner end of the slot, actuating means for said presser element, and a reciprocable pusher positioned to enter the slot at the inner end thereof and along a path parallel to the drum axis to eject the compressed stub forming material from the slot.

2. The invention according to claim 1, with guide means encircling the drum between the position of the slot when receiving the material and said second position for preventing escape of the material from the radial outer end of the slot.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said slots open through both ends of the drum, a plate supported to extend across an end of the drum in a radial direction, and means for moving the plate toward the adjacent end of the drum to prevent the escape of the stub forming material from its slot.

4. The invention according to claim 1, with a guide spoon positioned to receive the stub as it is ejected from the drum slot, a paper tube former adjacent to the end of the drum from which the stub is ejected and on the side of the spoon remote from the drum, means for moving a formed paper tube toward the drum along a path paralleling but to one side of the path of movement of the ejected stub, means for receiving the advancing end of the tube, means for cutting the tube between the receiving means and the former to provide a tube section, and means for locating and holding the tube section in the spoon to receive the ejected stub.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the said means for receiving the advancing end of the tube comprises an elongate semi-cylindrical element, means beneath said element forming a supporting surface for the tube and toward which the open side of the semi-cylindrical element is directed, the supporting surface being inclined in a direction transversely of the semicylindrical element, means for lifting said semicylindrical element to permit the tube section to escape and move down said incline, means for catching and retaining the tube section when it has moved down the incline to a predetermined position, and said means for locating and holding the tube section including a pusher for moving the tube section from the last named position toward the spoon. 6. A machine for making filter stubs for cigarettes comprising a drum having a plurality of radially directed, longitudinally extending slots opening through the periphery thereof, a fixed shaft extending axially through the drum, means for turning the drum around the shaft, the shaft having a longitudinal slot extending from its axis to and through its surface, means for imparting intermittent turning motion to the drum to successively bring the drum slots into stationary register with the shaft slot, means for feeding filter stub forming material into a slot at one stationary position of the drum, a presser plate sup ported for reciprocable movement in the plane of and with respect to the open outer side of the of the shaft in the shaft slot, and means timed to move the pusher into the shaft slot to eject the formed stub before the presser plate is withdrawn from the slots.

HEDWIG GAMBLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,906,798 Lerner May 2, 1933 2,105,412 Edwards Jan. 11, 1938 2,307,906 Ahne Jan. 12, 1943 

